


the opportunities for friends

by luna65



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal (TV) RPF
Genre: M/M, Madancy, S1, slightly fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 20:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4760300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luna65/pseuds/luna65
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mads and Hugh are valued for their natural chemistry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the opportunities for friends

**Author's Note:**

> A possible motivation for Mads and Hugh's casting, as well as some silliness and meditations on friendship. The script they review is for 01X08 "Fromage."

"Okay I'm not supposed to do this sort of thing, lay it all out on the table like this, in the midst of casting -" Bryan paused to laugh at the two men on the other side of his desk. "But you two are the **only** ones I want for the leads. Let me tell you why."

Mads smiled. "Please do."

"Because you have the thing I want to cultivate in this story as a whole, gods willing -" he paused to knock on the surface of his desk "- that we get to tell _that_ story. And that is a friendship which is so deep and inclusive, even though it's so strange. But you -" he pointed at them " - are the show. It's called _Hannibal_ but it's really about your relationship, no matter what else is going on."

"Well you know, it's already strange to be Mads' friend, so..." Hugh said, grinning widely, and they all laughed.

"So it's not a stretch then!"

"Oh good lord no!"

"So we're not acting then? At all?" Mads asked with a smirk.

"Just a little bit, that's all I ask. But your friendship is crucial, I want it to be wholly organic, and I know that's what you already have."

They smiled at each other, and Bryan found himself thanking the God of his childhood that these two incredibly attractive and talented men got him, got his sense of humor, and understood his vision for the show.

"It's going to be hard enough, because we're taking such liberties with the source material, but _respectfully_. What I need is two leads who are engaging and charismatic, and I already know that the camera loves each of you, so when you're together on screen? Oh my god -"

Mads made an explosion sound and motion with his hands. "Dynamite."

"Yes, exactly!"

Hugh laughed, shaking his head, his inherent cultural prejudice taking hold. "Let this one eat the scenery and everything else. I'll just be over here in the corner petting a hundred dogs."

"That's it! That's the show!"

Mads grinned, but then it was his turn to demur. "No obvious theatrics, Hannibal wouldn't like that, it's vulgar and cheap. The Devil is as polished as what he wears. I like that you wrote that into the script, by the way."

"You've never been so well-dressed in your _life_ \- and I should know, I've googled all your photos."

"I'm looking forward to it."

 

"So...Thai food?"

Mads smiled. "You know me so well."

Hugh went to ask the concierge for directions to the nearest Thai restaurant, Mads stepped outside and lit a cigarette, watching the passersby.

"Good news! There's a place just up that way," Hugh announced, pointing north and donning sunnies against the Southern California glare.

" _Allons-y, monsieur_."

Once they were seated (outside) and placed their beverage order, Hugh sat back and laughed.

"Well that was the easiest audition I've ever been to!"

Mads lit another cigarette. "No question."

"But -"

"Oh here it comes," Mads teased.

"Are we going to _strain_ our friendship by playing our friendship?"

"In what way?"

Their beers were served and they perused their menus.

"I'll take whatever is the least hot," Hugh declared.

" _Pad Thai_?" the waiter asked.

"Sure."

Mads glanced down the list of selections and decided on _Yam mu krop_. "Really spicy!"

The waiter looked unconvinced. 

"Trust me, he likes it hot!" Hugh teased.

Mads took a healthy swig from his bottle of Singha. "You were saying?"

"I feel we might be exploiting our friendship if we use our chemistry."

"We wouldn't be, I don't think. We're the characters, and they're not us. But I wouldn't want to play this role without you."

He was awarded with the grin he loved. "That was the kicker, certainly."

"Finally standing together once more."

"Did you miss me, luv? Give that here -" Hugh gestured for the cigarette.

Mads handed it over. "I thought you quit."

"It doesn't count when I'm with you."

"And yes, I did miss you. Not talking to you, we do that all the time. But _you_."

"As anyone would, of course."

"I especially missed your modesty, dearest."

Hugh tried to laugh and exhale at the same time and ended up coughing. Mads took back the cigarette.

"Let's not adopt all the bad habits at once, eh?"

 

"If I'd had to go by the script alone, I certainly wouldn't have thought I'd be the one, y'know?" Hugh confessed to Martha. She smiled and patted his arm.

"Your soul is in your eyes, that's all Will Graham, you know? He feels _everything_ , and you can sell that, instantly. It's brilliant."

"Who's brilliant?" Mads asked, sitting down with a cup of coffee and several chocolate biscuits. "Could it be me?"

Hugh helped himself to one of the cookies. "As it happens we were discussing _me_ , thank you very much."

"I'm liking your hair, it reminds me of Galahad's hair, no?"

"Totally a fan of the Galahad hair," Martha agreed.

"I used to grab hold of it sometimes -"

Hugh sputtered crumbs and smacked Mads' ersatz Brioni-clad arm.

"You did **not**!"

"Wait," Bryan called out from across the set. "Catfight? What am I missing?!"

"Hair-pulling," Martha replied, and the assemblage found themselves giggling at the thought as well as Hugh's apoplexy.

"I swear you are the worst, Mikkelsen. The **worst**."

Mads smiled broadly and crunched into a biscuit.

 

They sat on the floor of Mads' bedroom, with an opened bottle of wine and glasses, two scripts which were heavily marked-up, and a smoldering ashtray.

"This is about how each of them are trying to make a connection - they want connection - but they are failing to connect with anyone."

Hugh nodded. "I saw that too. Will and Alana -"

"Hannibal and Bedelia. Franklyn and Tobias. Franklyn and Hannibal."

"Where are Hannibal and Will in this?"

"Seeking harmony. Think about this discussion -" Mads pointed to the scene on page 18. "- and how he's trying to get through to Will with that analogy."

"Will seems to be letting go of his reluctance to show himself to Hannibal."

Mads smiled, a version of the microexpression which Hannibal employs.

"How does that make you feel, Will?"

"Exposed," Hugh answered in Will's American inflection.

"So...Hannibal serves Will dessert," Mads continued, turning to page 29. "In some cultures, that would be tantamount to seduction."

"Should we have dessert while we read the scene?"

They had already done their table-read of the scene that day, but it never stopped them from performing for each other prior to the actual shoot.

Mads smiled. "After. But Will says the killer's serenade is _our_ song - does he mean his and Hannibal's?"

"He thinks Hannibal understands him."

"And Hannibal drops the big hint, right in the middle of Will's intimacy issues with Alana."

"To punish him?"

"You know why, he's curious."

"Just like you're curious." Hugh's smile is guileless, a sunny grin.

"A richer, darker sound," Mads read from page 36. "Is that the sound of their friendship?"

"It's like the sound of your voice, to me."

Mads smiled again, flipping pages. 

"You get a great fight scene," Hugh noted, pointing to page 41. "I know they write those for you just so they can watch you be brutally graceful."

"Ooh I like that, _brutally graceful_."

Mads put an arm around Hugh and Hugh turned his face to Mads and their lips met in a brief but passionate kiss.

Mads pointed to a direction on page 44 which he had highlighted and underlined: _Hannibal is visibly relieved to see Will alive and well._

"How should I play that, do you think?"

"You're going to play it like you always do, by giving as little away as possible, but enough that everyone knows how you feel."

"Notice how Will says 'you had reason to worry,' is he scolding Hannibal?"

"Hannibal sent him there, after all."

" _Uneasy camaraderie_ , eh?"

"Will is reluctant...but -"

"Hannibal wants...to be his friend."

"And Will wipes the blood from his forehead."

"Because somewhere within he knows they will be friends."

"How does he know?" Hugh asked, looking up into the face of his friend.

"How do you know?" Mads kissed him again, softly. "You just know."


End file.
